Let This Matter Rest

Steve watched his former friend die. Though he had agreed to Bucky’s request, sorrow still surged uncontrollably in his heart.

Peggy came to Steve’s side and pulled him into her embrace.

She had experienced too many partings of life and death over the years, so she understood how Steve felt right now. She also knew that he needed comfort.

Tony Stark had said that anything else could be discussed.

But the murder of one’s father was an irreconcilable hatred. Whether it was Steve or her—

Even if the one who had killed their father was a friend of their friend, they could not say, nor could they truly promise, that they would be able to forgive their father’s murderer.

Tony Stark was willing to give Steve some time to say farewell to his friend.

The fact that he had not immediately returned to Blue Star to kill Bucky himself, or even torture him, was already giving Steve tremendous consideration.

Bucky also knew that Steve was in a very difficult position. If things dragged on for too long—

Not only was Bucky destined to die, but Steve’s life might also be thrown into complete chaos. That was why he chose to take his own life.

"Peggy… the last friend from my past is gone too…"

Held in Peggy’s arms, Steve spoke with a trembling voice.

"These things are unavoidable."

"But not everyone you knew in the past is dead."

"You still have me. I’ll stay by your side in the future as well."

"There’s no one else here. If you want to cry, then cry."

Peggy held Steve and gently stroked his head, her voice incomparably soft.

Though men were said not to shed tears lightly, even a man with a will of steel would cry in sorrow.

After hearing Peggy’s words, Steve could no longer hold back the tears he had been forcing himself to suppress.

Once some of the grief in Steve’s heart had been released, he pulled himself free from Peggy’s embrace.

"After I give Tony an explanation, I want to bury Bucky at sea."

After standing up and wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, Steve looked at Bucky’s lifeless body on the ground and spoke.

"Mm."

Peggy felt somewhat regretful that Steve had recovered so quickly, but that was indeed Steve’s nature. She nodded slightly.

Steve then entered the villa, took out the Universal Communicator, and called Tony again.

Time rewound to a few minutes earlier.

"Tony, are you alright…?"

Banner had also heard what Steve said and learned the truth behind Tony’s parents’ deaths. He looked at Tony, whose expression had darkened somewhat.

"I’m fine. The dead cannot be brought back to life, but avenging my parents is inevitable."

"It depends on whether Steve truly understands what consequences his actions will bring."

Tony spoke after hearing this.

"Steve wouldn’t violate the rules, would he…?"

Banner knew what Tony meant by consequences and was somewhat worried.

"I don’t know. I’ve already restrained myself as much as possible. I know Bucky is his friend, so I gave him face."

"It depends on whether he’s willing to give me face."

Tony shook his head as he spoke.

He had originally been happily entertaining Loki and Thor.

Who would have thought that Steve would suddenly say today that he had found the murderer of his parents?

And Bucky Barnes was Steve’s friend.

That was why Tony had already been extremely restrained in his attitude toward Steve.

If not for the fact that they were separated by tens of thousands of light-years, and Thor and Loki were currently guests on Void Island—

He would have returned to Blue Star at once and killed Bucky Barnes directly. Whoever stood in his way would die.

However, Tony also knew that Steve must have gone through much hesitation and deliberation before deciding to tell him all this.

Even knowing that making Tony forgive Bucky Barnes was nearly impossible, Steve still wanted to plead for Bucky Barnes.

That was why Tony had given Steve some time, using it as a buffer and as a way to give Steve an explanation.

Now, it depended on whether Steve was willing to give him an explanation.

Or whether Steve would turn against him for Bucky Barnes and attack him when he killed Bucky Barnes.

The members of the Void Cult could spar with one another, and they could fight each other with all their strength. That could help them improve.

But they absolutely could not strike to kill out of hatred, much less engage in internal conflict.

So if Steve truly did that, it would mean that he had violated the laws of the Void Cult.

He would need to face pursuit by the Void Cult and might even be sent to the Hall of Judgment, which had been established from the very beginning of the Void Cult.

Although Steve had joined the Void after passing Harvey’s test, Tony was the one who had recommended Steve to Harvey.

If Steve became the first person to violate the laws—

Then Tony would have to personally capture Steve and send him to the Hall of Judgment.

And as the first person to violate the laws, Steve would certainly be made an example of. There was a high chance that Peggy Carter would be punished along with him.

The Void Cult was a very free place, but that freedom had one prerequisite: one could not violate its laws.

Tony had never seen what judgment in the Void Cult was like, but in order to serve as a warning to the other members of the Void, the punishment in the first trial certainly would not be light.

Banner understood that Tony had already done everything he could, so he did not try to persuade Tony to be magnanimous.

All he could do in his heart was pray that Steve would make the right choice.

However, Steve soon called again.

Seeing the call, Tony took a deep breath before answering it. This time, it was a holographic call.

"After Bucky explained some things to me, he left of his own accord."

Steve spoke after connecting, his voice somewhat low.

When Tony heard those words, he saw a man lying on the ground behind Steve, a bullet having pierced through his head, a smile still on his face.

"I understand."

"Let this matter rest."

"As long as you don’t bring it up, I won’t bring it up either."

When Tony saw the man’s mechanical arm, his gaze flickered. He did not offer Steve any cutting words such as congratulating him for making the right choice.

Though he had not personally taken revenge with his own hands, Bucky Barnes, the man who had killed his parents, was already dead. There was nothing more to say.

As for personally torturing Bucky Barnes, or using even crueler methods to make him atone, Tony had never considered it.

Because once he learned the identity of the person who had killed his parents, all he could do was make that person pay with his life. Most importantly, it was to give his parents an explanation.

Tony did not know whether this would make his parents happy, but if he knew that their murderer was still alive—

Yet did nothing, it would become a knot in his heart and might lead him to do something even more impulsive.

Now that the enemy was dead, this matter had to be put behind them.

The third update, two thousand words delivered.